There is this thing about homemade food that gets me so excited that I can’t even explain. I even slightly jumped off of my chair as I typed this. Cooking – or doing any other thing, for that matter – with LOVE leaves me speechless and touches me beyond words.

Whenever I teach a workshop you’ll hear me talking about this and probably the menu will feature a massaged salad, some type of dough or something else we’ll need to make with our own hands. I strongly believe that the energy we put into our cooking will affect the food and, of course, our digestion. Everything is an exchange of energy and, for me, cooking and sharing the food is the epitome of these beautiful happenings.

 

 

Just talking about this makes want to go to the kitchen and prepare a love-made meal. Specifically this salad. It is raw but it warms you up as if it was sautéed, it’s so delicious!

And, the absolute best thing? This is another post that comes with a gift: two recipes in one! I came up with this creamy, tangy, fresh and deeply satisfying cheese when cooking for a yoga & brunch event. I wanted to replicate Feta cheese for its acidity and freshness that pairs so well with fruits or hearty veg. By using soft nuts (can also replace for soaked sunflower seeds) and three different acidic ingredients, you get a delicious creamy paste that hardens a bit when refrigerated, just like feta, but with cashews. FeCa it is!!

 

 

Kale, Apple and Feca Cheese Salad
6 to 8 people

For the Salad:
6 stems of kale, stems out, chiffonade
2 red apples, thinly sliced
1 pomegranate, deseeded
1 cup pecan nuts
2 tbsp olive oil
1 juicy lemon
sea salt, to taste
1 Feca cheese, in small cubes

Method:
1. Clean the kale, cut into chiffonade (thin slices) and place in a large bowl. Season with olive oil, lemon juice, and sea salt. Massage vigorously until the kale wilts down and the volume reduces to half.
2. Add sliced apples, pomegranate seeds and pecan nuts, roughly broken. Toss together and reseason, if needed.
3. Gently fold in Feca cheese (recipe below!) and serve immediately or store in the fridge.

 

 

Feca Cheese
1 cup raw cashews
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp ground sumac
1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp sea salt

Method:
1. Soak the cashews in plenty of water for, at least, 2 hours.
2. Pulse the soaked cashews (throw away the soaking water) until crumbled.
3. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, sumac, water, salt and blend until very creamy and smooth.
4. Place it on a baking paper in the fridge for, at least, 2 hours until it hardens a bit.
5. It’s ready to serve! Pairs greatly with roasted veggies or fruits, over a warm salad or thinned with water as a dressing.

 

Happy energetic cooking!
Show me your p/c recipes by tagging them on Instagram with #pleaseconsiderfood.

with love,
Joana